Curious anecdotes and musings on what makes us 'us'

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Filed under craft history …

I recently found this wonderful book by Rohana Darlington, Irish Knitting. She graduated from the Central School of Art and Design and in 1984 she received a travelling fellowship to study hand knitting in Norway and Ireland; from the latter came this book, a mix of Irish history focusing on fine art and textiles, but … Continue reading →

Ornate cabinets were popular in Europe Post Reformation, especially North of the alps. Many skilled tradespeople were involved, but we generally know nothing about them. This cabinet was built for Gallus Jacob, financier of the Prince Bishop of Wurzburg about 1716. Inside the completed cabinet was this cry of pain: I don’t understand this. Should be … Continue reading →

Last Friday the i featured England’s last cooper, Les Skinner, 72 who is about to retire and sell his business in Liverpool. The trade was once at the heart of Britain’s trade, as they produced barrels for food and drink, whale oil so was a huge industry, and one of the last of the guilds … Continue reading →

The annual Made in Roath festival is again upon us in Cardiff, and some fences have been decorated by a bunch of cross stitchers. I love them because the y make you stop and look at your local environment. Sometimes you have a brief encounter with others who have likewise paused to look and admire … Continue reading →

This 3 day event linked the Cathedral’s wonderful Glass Exhibition with the annual Doors Open Day, so a brilliant combination. Arrayed outside the cathedral were a number of potters, wood and stone carvers, weavers and others. One woman combined making and teaching felt animals with repairing cane seats on chairs. An impressive mixture. I was … Continue reading →

This is from Curious Country Customs by Jeremy Hobson, from Whitby North Yorkshire, a celebration from the Eve of Ascension day, 40 days after Easter: “For several hundred years a small chapel belonging to Whitby Abbey stood tucked away in the woods close to the River Esk. Described in 1762 as being a ‘poor mean … Continue reading →

This is in the rear of the Natural History museum, and in a way one of my favourite, because it hasn’t been multi-mediated and explained within an inch of its life. It is cluttered, poorly labeled at times, but utterly fascinating, in some parts due to the sheer number of similar items all crammed into … Continue reading →